Research Spotlight:

Clouds can be ‘supercharged’ by lead

By combining field collections of the ice crystals with laboratory measurements the Cziczo group has been able to show that lead-containing particles act as highly effective cloud formation agents. Although anthropogenic lead has decreased since the heyday of leaded gas in the 1970’s and 80’s the vast majority of atmospheric lead still comes from human activities. Understanding future emissions will be critical to understanding possible effects on climate.

Learn more about the Cziczo group’s research here.